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Still relevant parts of the most recent emailed circulars are reproduced below, along with a developing Draft of the next, but check out the Diary for full listings.
Circulars dated:   13/12/13   29/11/13

An email circulation list with currently over 1500 contacts provides regular information on folk events across southern Devon roughly within a 30 mile radius as the crow flies of Totnes. The e-circulars are sent on a regular basis, usually one every 7-14 days, not more than one per week apart from exceptional circumstances (and never with any attachments).

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Draft Next Circular

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DRAFT NEXT Harberton Folk Circular - ??day ?? December 2013
Only a selection of events follows below - the full open-ended southern Devon Folk Diary listings appear on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk.
 

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Saturday 22 February 2014 7.30pm - Acoustic Strawbs - Blackawton Village Hall, Vicarage Road, nr Totnes TQ9 7AY (map)
The last time the Strawbs played here, the gig sold out and, since then people have been begging to get them back - they are simply unique and quite incredible legends of music. They will be supported by Dartmouth's own (and they're very welcome to keep them!) Nauti Buoys. Shanties and similar songs of the sea as you've never heard them before - and probably won't want to hear again! Adv tickets £12 from Steve Gale 01803 712449 or for credit card sales from the George Inn call 01803 712342. Door price £15 (if any left). Licensed bar. Free off-street parking.

More in brief - Full Diary listings and details on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk
Friday 20 December - Out To Grass - B-Bar, Barbican Theatre, Plymouth
Sunday 22 December - Christmas Party - Folk on the Moor, Westward Inn, Lee Mill
Sunday 22 December - Mad Dog Mcrea - Pretoria Vaults, Okehampton
Saturday 28 December - Christmas / New Year Ceilidh with Buttoned Up - South Brent Village Hall
Tuesday 31 December - New Years Eve Ceilidh with The Mooncoin Ceilidh Band - Strand Centre, Dawlish
Sunday 12 January 2014 - Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston - Topsham Folk Club, Matthews Hall, Topsham
Sunday 12 January 2014 - Reg Meuross - Folk on the Moor, Westward Inn, Lee Mill
Saturday 18 January 2014 - Bully Wee Band with Phil Beer - Matthews Hall, Topsham
Sold out Sunday 9 March 2014 - Spiers & Boden (Final/Farewell Tour) - Matthews Hall, Topsham

John Culf
johnculf@harbertondevon.co.uk
www.harbertondevon.co.uk
www.harbertonfolk.co.uk
All information is given in good faith but no responsibility can be accepted for its accuracy. Do check with the organiser before setting out on a long journey.

Recent Circulars

13/12/13

Harberton Folk Circular - Friday 13 December 2013
Only a selection of events follows below - the full open-ended southern Devon Folk Diary listings appear on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk.

Tuesday 17 December 2013 - Christmas Sing - Bay Horse, Ashburton
Andy Williamson from the Ashburton Community Choir is organising a Christmas sing, essentially the Choir leading a singalong in the pub. It's straight after the 'Christmas Late Night Shopping' in Ashburton when all the shops are open till 8pm. Basic details here: www.facebook.com/events/638793056171888/?fref=ts. It may turn into a bit of a folk-ish jam session afterwards. He says 'ish' because the musicians involved will probably be jazz players, straying outside their comfort zone and seeing what happens.

Tuesday 17 December 2013 8.30pm - Bottle Top Boogie Band - Bradninch Folk Club, Castle Hotel
The band from the Blackdown Hills are energetic exponents of skiffle and keep the music craze alive and kicking. They perform up close up and personal. The start is at 8pm with our resident singers welcoming you in, then a musical treat prior to guests who will complete their performance by 10.30pm. For those that choose to remain there is an extra half hour of musical entertainment. All for £4 entry on the door. Contact 01392 881105.
Guest nights for early 2014: 21/1 Jim Causley & Lukas Drinkwater, 18/2 Alchemist's Wardrobe, 18/3 Dumbo Feathers. and April Andy Clarke.

Wednesday 18 December 2013 - Bella Hardy - Exeter Phoenix (map)
One of the most creative, prolific and original voices on the flourishing UK folk scene, she performs a combination of traditional and self penned material, and has been nominated four times in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards: winning the Best Original Song Award in 2012 for The Herring Girl. ‘Beautifully crafted and conceived with poetic flair’ The Independent. www.bellahardy.com. Box office 01392 667080. www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/bella-hardy

Wednesday 18 December 2013 7.45pm - Jurassic Folk Christmas Party - The Grove, Fore St, Seaton EX12 2LG (map)
Monthly open mic session plus Christmas singalong, come all ye, free admission. More info from www.eastdevonfolk.org or phone 01297 20064. Roughly the same format as previous years, i.e., a variety of floor spots and party pieces in the first half, and then Annie's Orchestra will lead a general singalong with everybody joining in from the supplied songsheets. Dress code is.... Christmassy if you can, or anything if you can't, and if you want to bring along some nibbles that will be lovely.
Change of venue for Jurassic Folk in the New Year
In January we shall commence holding our meetings at the Dolphin Hotel, Beer. We'll be sorry to leave the Grove after more than 6 years and we thank Jenny and her staff for looking after us so well all this time. But several things have prompted the need to move: First it was obvious that when there are only about 30 or 40 in the audience the Grove was not taking enough over the bar to warrant opening up and staffing the Grove just for us. Next there was the phenomenon that many people will just not come to the Grove as they are put off by its reputation and superficially intimidating appearance, although we all know that once you got inside it was all very friendly. There are many other factors and they all led up to the realisation that a change was needed.
So to the Dolphin: The first "Come All Ye" will be on Wednesday 22 January, but thereafter it will revert to the usual 3rd Wednesday of the month. We shall start promptly at 7.30pm and thus hope to finish a bit earlier than we have been used to in the Grove. At the moment no Guest Nights have been booked, but we foresee arranging these on an ad hoc basis, as and when the suitable artist is available, rather than having a fixed monthly date which didn't really work. The bonuses are many, as the Dolphin provides a superb range of beers and other refreshments, food from a snack to a full blown dinner should you want it, and easy parking either in the street, in the Dolphin's own car park, or in the main council car park which backs on to the Dolphin.

Thursday 19 December 2013 8pm - Jane Taylor - Blue Walnut Cafe, Chelston, Torquay TQ2 6HS (map)
Fresh from a live session recorded by the BBC from the infamous Maida Vale studios in London, Jane Taylor returns to The Blue Walnut Cafe with her violinist, the exceptionally talented Lizz Lipscombe, to perform a very special Winter gig in celebration of all that is the month of December. www.janetaylor.co.uk Tickets £10 adv / £12 door. 01803 394113 www.bluewalnuttorquay.co.uk. Book early!

Saturday 21 December 2014 8.30pm - Five Finger Eddie: Strictly Solstice - Carpenters Arms, Ilsington
Google the band for some Youtube samples. One for bagpipe fans.

Tuesday 31 December 2013 8pm - New Years Eve with The Old Gaffers Shanty Crew - Victoria Inn, Salcombe
Free entry.

Thursday 9 January 2014 8pm - Steve Knightley - Ley Arms Folk & Acoustic Music Club, Ley Arms, Kenn nr Exeter EX6 7UW (map)
One of the finest songwriters in Britain! One half of duo Show Of Hands. 1st night of Steve's "Grow Your Own Gig" - major British solo tour. www.growyourowngig.co.uk. Tickets £16 (not many left!!). Info / ticket reservations contact: leyarmsfolk@hotmail.co.uk or 01392 210983 (The Cornelius Family).

Friday 10 January 2014 - Phil Beer solo - Brixham Theatre, TQ5 8TA (map)
Phil Beer has never before performed in concert in Brixham but all that is about to change. Christmas is coming so why not make tickets a gift to yourself and/or a friend. You won't have to wrap anything and the benefits will last for ages! Maggie Duffy & Mike Weed are doing the support. The Brixham Theatre has been refurbished with a new bar and lounge area and a studio style stage. A dazzling instrumentalist, Phil was nominated for the coveted Musician of the Year title at the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Perhaps best known as a top-flight fiddler, he plays in the all-star line-up Feast of Fiddles, but his skills don’t stop there. He also plays slide, Spanish and tenor guitar, mandocello, viola, mandolin and South American cuatro, not to mention contributing rich vocals. His impressive track record also includes touring with Mike Oldfield and being a member of the feted Albion Band from 1984-1991. Show of Hands became a full-time partnership in the early 90s, a band that has gone on to sell out the Royal Albert Hall three times and were voted Best Live Act, by the public, at the 2004 Folk Awards. Box office 01803 882717 or email Maggie at scotcraft@msn.com (also online www.wegottickets.com/event/246951).

Saturday 18 January 2014 8pm - Appaloosas - Edgemoor Hotel, Haytor Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9LE
Excellent opportunity to see this Dartmoor based trio. Recent performers at the Cornish bluegrass festival, playing Americana/old time music with beautiful vocals and powerful delivery, this is one not to be missed. Tickets £7 available from the Edgemoor Hotel or from Jaime at Bluebell Wood Music 01626 830423 / bluebellwoodmusic@gmail.com. www.appaloosasmusic.com

Saturday 18 January 2014 8pm - Kestor Stringband - Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton
A night of old-time country moorgrass music, with special guest bluesman Alex Kumar. According to www.kestorstringband.co.uk (music samples) the first 25 through the door will get a free copy of the new CD 'The Moorgrass Album'.

Friday 24 January 2014 - Gallery Bar Special: Speakeasy - The Old Chapel, Sand Lane, Calstock PL18 9QX (map)
An evening of toe-tapping Tin Pan Alley music with Geoff "Spoons" Lakeman, Steve "Scats" Redman and Steve "Spats" Potter who dish it out with guitar, violin, authentic 1920s concertina, vocals and spoons to perform great songs from the twenties and thirties. Expect a dose of good time musical madness, dazzling culinary percussion and hankie-wringing sentimentality. As Fats Waller said, ‘nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.’ Admission is free, but donations to the band would be much appreciated. Doors and bar 7.30pm, music from 8.30pm.

Friday 5 September 2014 7.30pm - James Taylor - Plymouth Pavilions (map)
Legendary five-time Grammy Award winner James Taylor. Details www.plymouthpavilions.com/prod-productions_details.asp?pid=879.
This concert appears to be heavily booked already.

Session News
Sunday 15 December 3-6pm - Morley Music - Morley Arms, Billacombe Road, Plymouth PL9 7HP
The very excellent monthly music session continues, and this month we shall have once more in our midst the Wayward Wanderer. YES, Mr Doyle will be back from his epic eight months of travels Down Under. Yaaaaaaaaay!!!! Okay, maybe that's a bit over the top but hey, we have to big up the event somehow. We invite one and all to join us, warm and cosy, picking strings, blowing whistles, banging drums, and generally making merry. Put it, and every Third Sunday of the month, in your diary. Free! Please pass this email on to anyone else, player, singer, enthusiastic hand-clapper or egg-shaker, that you think might be interested.
[the following update from Tony Watts' regular Acoustic Calendar for Wessex email]
Totnes: Bay Horse Inn, 8 Cistern Street TQ9 5SP (01803 862088, www.bayhorsetotnes.com)
Traditional Open Session: First & third Mondays of every month, 8.45pm – 11pm. Players and singers welcome.
Traditional Singing Session: Second & fourth Tuesdays of the month, 8.45 - 11pm. Exploring British folk.
Eli’s Open Session: Every Thursday, 8.45 - 11pm. Singer/songwriters, musicians, percussionists – all welcome.
Bluegrass Session: Second Sunday each Month, 8.30pm - 11pm. Players welcome.

Featured venue: Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre
Exeter Phoenix continues to offer an enormous array of events of many genres, including in early 2014:
Saturday 15 February - 3 Daft Monkeys - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/3-daft-monkeys
Sunday 16 February - Rachel Sermanni - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/rachel-sermanni
Sunday 2 March - Martin Harley - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/martin-harley
Tuesday 4 March - Jamie Smith's Mabon & Maz O'Connor -www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/jamie-smiths-mabon-maz-oconnor
Sunday 9 March - Solarference - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/solarference
Sunday 9 March - Derrin Nauendorf - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/derrin-nauendorf
Saturday 15 March - Mad Dog Mcrea - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/mad-dog-mcrea-2
Sunday 23 March - Under Her Skin - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/under-her-skin
Thursday 27 March - Tcha Limberger’s Budapest Gypsy Orchestra - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/tcha-limbergers-budapest-gypsy-orchestra
Friday 28 March - Salsa Celtica - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/salsa-celtica
All the above are now included in the Diary on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk. For full details, samples, videos etc. see the above Phoenix links

Kelly Quarry Blasters: 40 years a Dartmoor legend! - DVD Release
A DVD has just been released celebrating the Dartmoor folk entertainers, the Kelly Quarry Blasters. Based on a concert staged in Lustleigh Village Hall in April 2013, the film includes archive material and interviews with group members, past and present. Profits from the sale of a DVD of the film will support the Lustleigh Community Archive. The DVD is available by post from The Chairman, The Lustleigh Society, Uplands, Rectory Lane, Lustleigh, Newton Abbot, TQ13 9TE at a cost of £9.50, including postage and packing.

29/11/13

Harberton Folk Circular - Friday 29 November 2013
Well here it is, my first attempt at using MailChimp! I hope there won't be too many teething problems - and I dare say there will be various tweaks to come. Just importing your email addresses yielded some interesting inconsistencies in different versions of my address lists and it's taken me a while to iron those out. Subscribing to and unsubscribing from the e-circulation can now all be dealt with automatically, but I still hope to maintain the personal touch. An online form added to www.harbertonfolk.co.uk enables new subscribers to join the list.

As usual, only a selection of reminders + new events follows below - the full open-ended southern Devon Folk Diary listings appear on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk.

Friday 20 December 2013 9pm - Out To Grass - B-Bar, Barbican Theatre, Plymouth (map)
High energy bluegrass with hot dance-along covers and foot stomping traditional tunes. Details www.wegottickets.com/event/251442.

Sunday 22 December 2013 7.45pm - Christmas Party - Folk on the Moor, Westward Inn, Lee Mill PL21 9EE (map)
Will we be able to better last year's fun 1960's themed evening? Come and find out! www.moorfolk.co.uk

Sunday 22 December 2013 - Mad Dog Mcrea - Pretoria Vaults, Okehampton
Jiggery folkery, hokery pokery... Mad Dog Mcrea blend a unique mixture of folk rock, pop, gypsy jazz, bluegrass and ‘shake your ass’ music. From self penned songs of adventure, drinking, love and life to traditional songs of gypsies, fairies, legless pirates and black flies, Mad Dog never fail to capture their audience with their infectious songs. Details www.maddogmcrea.co.uk/tour.

Saturday 28 December 2013 7pm - Christmas / New Year Ceilidh with Buttoned Up - South Brent Village Hall, Station Approach TQ10 9AQ (map)
Music by 'Buttoned Up (formerly 'Wrecks of Kildare') - Kate Fincham-Powell (caller/concertina), Les Noden (guitar & vocals) and Mick Bramich (melodeon/anglo concertina), organised by South Brent Folk. Tickets (which might make good Christmas presents) £7.50 (includes free first drink of non alcoholic fruit punch) from Artworks. Further information contact Eileen McKee 01364 73699; email: eileen.southbrentfolk@gmail.com. For further South Brent Festival events and news see www.southbrentfolk.org.

Tuesday 31 December 2013 8pm - New Years Eve Ceilidh with The Mooncoin Ceilidh Band - Strand Centre, Dawlish
In aid of Teignmouth Folk Festival. Tickets £10 adv only from Alan Brown 01626 863016 or Anne Gill 01803 290427. BYO drinks and food to share.

Thursday 23 January 2014 8.30pm - Blair Dunlop - Starz Bar, 18 Lower North Steet, Exeter EX4 3ET (map)
We are proud to announce that Exeter Folk Project's opening night will be brought to you with our first guest Blair Dunlop, winner of the prestigious Horizon Award at the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. His achingly beautiful Blight & Blossom may be one of the most memorable and melodic debut albums of recent years, but what has really marked him out from his peers is his ability to craft deceptively simple songs that connect with everyone who claps ears on them on a deeply emotional level that belies his age of 21. Tickets £10+ www.wegottickets.com/event/250287. www.facebook.com/Exeterfolkproject

Saturday 22 February 2014 - Josienne Clark & Ben Walker - St Bartholomew Church, Coffinswell, Newton Abbot TQ12 4SS
Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014 nominated for Best Duo and Horizon Award. Josienne's jewel-like voice finds the nuance and melancholy in the simplest phrase and effortlessly sends it straight to your heart. Ben's musical tact and mastery of the guitar provide the perfect setting and allow the song centre-stage. Their work together combines an exquisite command of their instruments with lyrics steeped in the tradition of English songwriting, and in ageless stories of love and loss. Though influenced by greats such as Sandy Denny, Richard and Linda Thompson, Nick Drake, Bert Jansch and June Tabor, their new album 'Fire and Fortune' marks two musicians who have resolutely found their own path through traditional English music. This is timeless stuff, and its purity will stay with you long after the last note fades. "One of the hottest tickets in folk" Mark Radcliffe - BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. Tickets £8+ www.wegottickets.com/event/249903.

Richie's listings for live music in December in East Devon
will be available here soon: www.harbertonfolk.co.uk/richie.htm.

Old Gaffers Shanty Crew Charity Concert Result & Thanks
This recent concert at South Devon Arts Centre in Totnes raised a total of just over £1000 from ticket sales and other donations and with Royal Mail matching this amount because Prostate Cancer UK is their community charity of the year and our lead shantyman is a postman a grant total of over £2000 will be going to the charity. Sincere thanks therefore to the audience of 100, to Maggie Duffy & Mike Weed for an excellent set as out special guests, and to South Devon Arts Centre for generously donating all facilities for the evening.

Featured Venue: South Devon Arts Centre, Totnes
Having now seen this relatively new venue from the perspective of both an audience member and an Old Gaffer performer, I can heartily recommend you check out its varied programme of top-flight live music of many genres including folk, comedy, DJ nights, theatre, tribute acts, and now including a regular cinema night in association with Ipplepen Film Society. See www.southdevonarts.co.uk (which usually includes extensive music samples). Once inside the venue you forget you're inside a converted unit on an industrial estate, so plenty of free parking in the evening. Maximum seated capacity is 190, with up to 80 of those on the balcony; maximum ground floor standing capacity 200. And last week SDAC had two 280-sellouts for Dreadzone and Hayseed Dixie! A well-stocked licensed bar (including a real ale) adds to the pleasure.

New Venue for 2014: Starz Bar in Exeter - Exeter Folk Project
Gigs start in the New Year, downstairs in the lounge bar, all seated (55-60 seats). More at www.facebook.com/Exeterfolkproject. Location: 18 Lower North Steet, Exeter, EX4 3ET. The line-up to date: 23/1/14 Blair Dumlop; 20/2/14 Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar; 27/3/14 O'Hooley & Tidow

More in brief - Full Diary listings and details on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk
Friday 7 February 2014 - Seth Lakeman - Exeter Cathedral
Sunday 9 February 2014 - 'Electric' Strawbs (special guests Peter Knight’s Gigspanner)-  The Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton
Sunday 16 February 2014 - Laura Cantrell - The Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton
Saturday 22 February 2014 - Acoustic Strawbs - Blackawton Village Hall, Vicarage Road, nr Totnes
Sunday 16 March 2014 – Emily Smith Trio - The Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton
Sunday 6 July 2014 – The Home Service - The Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton

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Crabshell Records Kingsbridge
We don't normally advertise this sort of thing, but Neil does a great job with Kingsbridge-based Crabshell Records ("Any money raised over expenses will be entirely dedicated to promoting live music of the tradition in and around Kingsbridge") , mostly involving local South Devon performers including Rumpus, The Old Gaffers, and The Storm, or his own previous events. See www.flaxey-green.co.uk/Pages/Publications.html for the lastest info (and also www.shamstrad.co.uk/crabshellrecords.htm).

Session news
The first Malborough Open Mike at the Royal Oak will be on November 28th, no Open Mike in December but then regularly on the 4th Thursday of the month from January 2014. All styles of music welcome. Come along and play/sing or listen.9pm start but come a little earlier if you want to play or phone Mahrey/Phil on 01548 853593.
The Malborough Jam Session (all styles of music from folk to blues and rock, join in or listen) continues on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, and there will be a festive feel to the music on 11th December. 8.30pm start.
For more info on either of these contact Mahrey/Phil on 01548 853593 or Julia/Howard on 01803 864674. For the Royal Oak contact 01548 561481.
More session news (extracted from Tony Watts' emailed Acoustic Calendar for Wessex updates, see www.sanchobramble.weebly.com, info reproduced in good faith, contact Tony - not me - with any feedback, or to join his email list)
New
Plymouth: The Crown & Anchor, 10-11 The Barbican PL1 2LS (01752 224572) - Every Tuesday, 8pm. Open mic.
RIP (i.e. discontinued)
Plymouth: Blue Peter Inn, 68 Pomphlett Road PL9 7BN (01752 941794) - First Thursday of the month. Mixed folk session.
The landlord is still willing to host musicians if anyone would like to get a session together.
Plymouth: The Dolphin, 14 The Barbican PL1 2LS (01752 660876, Martin: 01752 550768) - First Sunday of the month, 1pm till early evening. Music and song session.
Plymouth: Minerva Inn, 31 Looe Street PL4 0EA (01752 223047) - Open Mic: First Wednesday of the month, 8.30pm.
NB: The Thursday folk session is still alive and well.

Wren Music: Newton Abbot Roots Band for 8 to 16 Year Olds
All acoustic instruments welcome ~ All abilities welcome – no auditions ~ Make new friends and have fun! ~ Loads of instruments to try ~ Learn new tunes ~ Create and arrange music ~ Opportunities to perform
Times: 5pm to 6.30pm on Thursdays. Dates are: 7, 14, 21, 28 Nov, 5 Dec . Venue: The Music Workshop, Newton Abbot College, Old Exeter Rd Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2NF. Cost: £5 per session or £45 per term (10 sessions per term). Contact: David Faulkner on 01837 53754 or david@wrenmusic.co.uk. More details www.wrenmusic.co.uk.

Phil Beer Gig News
According to Phil Beer's recently updated website www.philbeer.co.uk he has the following solo, Phil Beer Band and Feast of Fiddles gigs lined up locally in 2014 (box office contacts are generally given there, although whether tickets are on sale yet is another matter):
Friday 10 January 2014 - Phil Beer solo - Brixham Theatre
Friday 31 January 2014 - Phil Beer solo - Colebrook Parish Hall
Sunday 2 February 2014 - Phil Beer solo - Acoustic Warehouse Open Mic Club, Passage House Inn, Kingsteignton
Sunday 9 February 2014 7.45pm - Phil Beer solo - Folk on the Moor, Westward Inn, Lee Mill
Friday 28 February 2014 - Phil Beer Band - Plough Arts Centre, Gt. Torrington
Saturday 1 March 2014 - Phil Beer Band - Plough Arts Centre, Gt. Torrington
Sunday 2 March 2014 - Phil Beer Band - Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Wednesday 9 April 2014 - Feast Of Fiddles - Exeter Corn Exchange
Friday 6 June 2014 - Phil Beer solo - The Old Chapel, Sand Lane, Calstock
Saturday 13 September 2014 - Phil Beer solo - Bow Village Hall, nr Crediton

Meanwhile Steve Knightley is doing this:
Steve Knightley's 'Grow Your Own Gig' - see www.growyourowngig.co.uk for details, and Steve's solo dates which currently include (again, box office contacts are generally given there, but tickets may not be on sale yet):
Thursday 9 January 2014 - Ley Arms, Kenn nr Exeter 01392 210983
Wednesday 29 January 2014 - Kingsand Village Hall 01579 347483
Saturday 1 February 2014 - Modbury Village Hall 01752 893051
Friday 28 February 2014 - Bow Village Hall 01363 82379
Sunday 18 May 2014 - Lympstone Village Hall 07771 558914

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Session News from the 'Acoustic Calendar for Wessex'
(see www.sanchobramble.weebly.com) which as originator Tony Watts states "is all about DIY music (not concerts, gigs, ceilidhs etc). The purpose of the Calendar is to keep you informed of all the places where you can take your voice and/or instrument and join in or do your own thing". Tony's 'Wessex' coverage extends into our area and his most recent email updates include the following:
RESURRECTED
Torquay: Ryans Bar, 25 Abbey Rd TQ2 5NF (01803 292520) Every Wednesday, 8pm. Folk/acoustic jam session.
NEW
Bradninch (nr. Exeter): Ye Old White Lion, 26 High Street EX5 4QL (01392 881263, Gerard Edwards: 01392881105 ) Third Sunday of the month, 3pm. Music session.
CHANGES OF DAY
Exeter: City Gate Hotel, Iron Bridge, Lower North Street EX4 3RB (01392 495811, citygate@youngs.co.uk)
Third Thursday of the month, 7.30pm in the function room. Music session. Previously listed as being on a Tuesday.
Exeter: Wells Tavern, 31 Well St. EX4 6QL (01392 424020)
Third Thursday of each month, 8pm. “Lively, energetic sessions with a mixture of songs and tunes. All welcome!” Run by Exeter University Folk Society. Previously on other Thursdays.
Exmouth: Beacon Vaults, Beacon Hill EX8 1PB (01395 488806)
Alternate Thursdays, 8.30pm - 10.30pm. “Instrumental session, mostly but not exclusively English. Good bus and train links, free parking in London Inn public car park only 100 yards away plus plenty of on street parking.” FREE PINT for performers. Previously on the fourth Thursday of the month.
RIP
Exeter: The Great Western Hotel, St David's EX4 4NU (01392 274039, enquiries@greatwesternhotel.co.uk) First & third Thursdays of the month, 8.30-ish. Irish session. Discontinued.
Exmouth: The Bath House, Esplanade EX8 2AZ (01395 265030) Every Tuesday, 8.30pm. Open mic. Top of Form. Acoustic. All welcome. Defunct.

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Feature: Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre
Friday 22 November - Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/adrian-edmondson-the-bad-shepherds
Sunday 24 November - Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/kathryn-roberts-sean-lakeman
New Wednesday 27 November - Braebach - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/breabach.
New Wednesday 4 December - Chris Wood - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/chris-wood
Thursday 12 December - John Smith - www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/john-smith
New Wednesday 18 December - Bella Hardy -  www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/bella-hardy

New 'South Devon Arts Centre' in Totnes
This brand new (a month ago) not-for-profit community arts venue (whose patrons and friends include Jools Holland, Bob Harris and Sir Richard Branson) already has a massive programme lined up of top-class music of many genres, comedy, cabaret, theatre etc. and all ticketing details can be found at www.southdevonarts.co.uk. SDAC is located at The Stables, Ford Road, Totnes, TQ9 5LE (map) and has a maximum seated capacity of 190 (ground floor 110, gallery balcony 80), or 200 standing capacity ground floor. Plenty of free parking available close by. Licensed bar.
It's very difficult to categorise some performers, but here's a summary of the 'folkier' acts in the current published programme up to December:
22/11 Rue Royale; 23/11 Hayseed Dixie; 14/12 Mad Dog Mcrea - something for all tastes there! They're also all in the www.harbertonfolk.co.uk website Diary, with links to music/video samples in most cases.

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Session news:
Malborough (nr Kingsbridge):- The newly refurbished Royal Oak, Malborough is ready so the next second Wedensday session will be on Weds 10th April at 8.30 pm.
New sessions:
Bradninch (nr Exeter):- The White Lion, 26 High Street EX5 4QL (01392 881263) - Trad session (gerard_joy@btinternet.com): Second Sunday of the month (September to April), 3pm to 6-ish. “Traditional music session around the fire in a friendly pub (English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Breton music).”
Plymouth:- The Morley Arms, Billacombe Road PL9 7HP (01752 401191) - Bluegrass, blues and skiffle session: First Sunday of the month, 3pm to 6pm. (Reminder of existing session here: Music at The Morley: Third Sunday of the month, 3pm to 6pm. Open acoustic session. “Come along whether you be a player, singer, or enthusiastic hand-clapper or egg-shaker.”).

Buckfastleigh Mixed Voice A Cappella Choir - Recruiting
‘The Lost Sound’ is a small (24 singers), mixed voice, a cappella choir based in Buckfastleigh with a strong folk element. They have received an extremely warm response to their performances throughout 2012, especially from The Dart Music festival and Night of 1000 voices at Exeter Cathedral. They are looking to take on new singers in the Alto and Female tenor sections who have some harmony experience and who can learn quickly. For more info see www.singingandbreathing.co.uk or call Sandra on 01364 643105.

North Devon/West Somerset music listings - Listings of regular and special music events for the above area can always be found at www.shammickacoustic.org.uk (then click on 'Local Events').

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North Devon/West Somerset music listings
Listings of regular and special music events for the above area can always be found at www.shammickacoustic.org.uk (then click on 'Local Events').

Note to (potential) contributors - and readers:
The frequency of these e-circulars varies anywhere from approx. weekly up to fortnightly, driven essentially by work and personal priorities. Therefore, to give your event the best possible chance of inclusion (unless I forget! - has happened very occasionally), try to get your information to me at least a month in advance, preferably using the standard format I employ for most entries - see below - and preferably with a max. length of 50 to 75 words. Otherwise I have to edit text down to a reasonable length, and editing takes time! A Myspace (or similar) web link for music samples is a good idea too.

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Folk news slightly further afield:
Somerset & Dorset (SADFOLK) folk events
A regular and comprehensive emailed listing is available through www.sadfolk.co.uk (Somerset and Dorset folk) for folk events in venues large and small in those two counties, some of which are not too far away from the Harberton Folk area. Steve who runs this has over 800 contacts on his list.
North Devon www.shammickacoustic.org.uk - website listings
...and not forgetting www.flaxey-green.co.uk (and www.devonfolk.co.uk) for further detailed Devon listings, including many regular pub sessions,  folk dance clubs and much more.

1-2-1 Melodeon Tuition
Ed Rennie, lead tutor with the Devon Squeezebox Foundation, is currently teaching melodeon to a number of people on a 1-2-1 basis at their homes. The advantage from the students' point of view is the courses are tailored to their needs and progress at their pace and they get to stay at home in the warm and dry and Ed does all the running about in the cold and dark! Ed has a number of students he visits once a month in the West Dartmoor/Plymouth area (Mary Tavy to Saltash). He has capacity to take on some more students in the area, so if you would be interested to learn the melodeon at home with Ed, give him a shout at devonsqueezebox@hotmail.co.uk. Melodeon hire also available.

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A few notes about these listings - what gets listed, what doesn't... etc.
The listings primarily include 'folk' events, mostly of a concert nature, also folk club guest nights, folk workshops, ceilidhs / barn dances etc.
'Folk' of course means many things to many people so that's partly why I also include limited coverage of some Americana, blues and other acoustic music events, but also partly because there are dedicated people/venues in the area putting on top-class performers in these fields - and they take the trouble to send me information. (The 'other musics' will generally have shorter entries and fewer repeats.)
My preferred length for entries is 50-75 words, 100 words max. This length restriction, combined with a 'selection of events only', means that the overall length of each e-circular does not become excessive (and unduly sleep-inducing!). The full open-ended Diary is always available on www.harbertonfolk.co.uk.
If you're submitting stuff to me for inclusion, why not give a web link to online music samples? Most performers have them these days. And there's then a chance the reader will take a listen, perhaps like what they hear, and maybe even come to a gig they wouldn't have otherwise considered!
I don't include information about regular informal pub folk sessions or folk (social) dance club material - these areas are well covered by www.flaxey-green.co.uk and www.devonfolk.co.uk. - but I will list details of new sessions, for example.
The general distance qualifier has always been 'within 30 miles as the crow flies from Totnes' (covers a surprisingly wide range), although this does get stretched a little sometimes for items of potential wider South-West interest.
The e-circulars are sent to approx. 1400 folk-specific contacts (no telling of course how many fail to arrive for whatever reason, although I do my best to maintain the email list - several repeated rejections from the same address will result in that address being deleted)  The great majority of those contacts are within the above coverage area.
And please don't be offended if I occasionally forget - or even refuse - to include an item.
Keep enjoying the live music! - John Culf

New folk festival listing website
www.ukfolkfestivals.co.uk "tries to list almost every folk music festival in the UK" [and seems to do quite a good job]

More folk/roots music on local radio - Phonic FM (106.8 in Exeter; www.phonic.fm worldwide)
Martin Henning, Rich Cooke and Martin Hodge present 'Roots & Shoots' every Monday 6-8pm. They play folk/roots music from around the world and always include local music, often featuring live music - our next scheduled performers being Mad Dog McRea on Monday 10 May.

An 'interesting' email problem
Those of you who read my recent notes about the various problems I experience when sending these e-circulars may be interested/amused to see a (new) rejection message received from a recipient at a local educational establishment. I have highlighted the offending word in bold/red and added spaces so it's not rejected again. This word appeared in the item about Hayseed Dixie:
Microsoft Antigen for Exchange found a message matching a filter. The message is currently Identified.
Message: "hf21_30 080226"
Filter name: "KEYWORD= racial discrimination: h i l l b i l l y"
Sent from: "John Culf"

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A Virus Warning - but please do read this, unlike the usual hoaxes that circulate which are simply designed to clog up the email airwaves:
"There is a dangerous virus being passed around electronically, orally, and by hand. This virus is called Weary-Overload-Recreational-Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from any of your colleagues, your boss, or anyone else via any means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely. If you should come into contact with WORK, put your jacket on and take two good friends to the nearest grocery store. Purchase the antidote known as Work-Isolating-Neutralizer-Extract (WINE) or Bothersome-Employer-Elimination-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system. You should forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5 friends, you have already been infected."

'Virus' warnings - Chain emails (e.g. petrol prices) - Please avoid them
With 1400+ email contacts, if there's junk going around I usually see quite a few examples of it. If you receive a chain email, such as those that warn of a terrible virus circulating which will destroy your hard disk, do please take a moment to check before forwarding it to your entire address book. Pick out a couple of salient words and put them into Google, e.g. "olympic torch email", and you'll soon see that they are invariably hoaxes, simply designed to further clog up email servers across the globe. And whilst possibly originally well intentioned, the petrol price emails doing the rounds have essentially been around since 1999 - see http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_gas_boycott_2006.htm and read the analysis/comments.

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Other interesting local music links
Plymouth Classical Music Concert Diary www.plyclassical.co.uk - Comprehensive month-by-month listings of all types of classical music in and around Plymouth, plus some jazz and folk, including Harberton Folk's events.
Plymouth Music Accord www.plymouthmusicaccord.co.uk - Registered Charity promoting the appreciation and performance of music in the Plymouth area. Members include local orchestras, bands, choirs, opera groups, etc. and many promoters and venues, and Plymouth Folk Festival (who have a brand new, smart website).
'Off topic' but we'll mention a couple of other local live music sources for different genres:
Totnes Early Music Society www.totnesearlymusic.org.uk - fairly self-explanatory

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